# Smoking tobacco that has mold in it?



## doublebassmusician

I was filling a pipe with Red Raparee when I noticed a clump of what I think was mold in my tobacco. I threw that part away, dumped the jar on my desk and looked for more mold. I think I got it all, but if I missed a little bit, is smoking tobacco with a little bit of mold in it anything to worry about?

I've also noticed that some of my SG full virginia flakes have some white streaks in them. Is this mold too?

This kinda concerns me because I have 15+ pounds cellared away for a lifetime of smoking, just in case. Will they last? I've packed it as tight as could in mason jars. Should I reopen them and let the tobacco dry out a bit to prevent mold, or are they fine?


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## Nachman

Mold is fuzzy. Bloom is not. It sounds like what was in your RRR was probably mold. It should not be smoked. What is on your FVF is probably bloom if it is not fuzzy and if it is bloom, it is a good sign. Don't open your jars. Letting in air would make mold more likely.


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## GlassEye

Bloom is crystal-like in appearance, usually in streaks. You want the bloom, it is a sign of aging in high sugar leaves. Mold will be fuzzy and 3D, if that makes sense; bloom is flat on the leaf.

Smoking mold would probably not be good, I know I am allergic to mold.


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## indigosmoke

Here is some basic info on mold and tobacco from Greg Pease:

Q: Where does mold come from, and what do I do about it?

A: Mold is an unfortunate fact of life. If there's a spore, and the conditions are right, the spore will germinate, and you'll get mold. If tobacco is too damp, there's a much greater risk of mold, but mold can form even on fairly dry substrates. Most commonly, mold develops when tobacco has dried out, been over-hydrated, and put in containers that are not clean. I've often read about using a little vinegar in the water used to rehydrate the tobacco, in order to retard mold. This is a myth. I've seen some pretty dramatic mold formations on tobacco that was literally doused with vinegar. And, besides, tobacco treated this way will taste like vinegar...

Some molds really stink, and even a small colony will render the entire batch unsmokeable. Others are quite innocuous, and removing the damaged area before the mold is allowed to spread will possibly spare the rest of the tobacco.

If you store tobacco in a jar, and end up with a good case of mold, there's no need to throw out the jar. Just wash with hot, soapy water with a little bleach, and rinse thorougly. If you have a dishwasher, it's a good way to get the jar squeaky clean and ready to use again.


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## dmkerr

What Greg said.

I've done what you did - plucked out the moldy portion - and smoked the rest and it was fine.


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## doublebassmusician

So is my cellared tobacco in any danger of mold?
I basically washed and dried the mason jars and stuffed them with bulk tobacco. I didn't let the tobacco dry out or anything or loosely fill the jars. They're packed pretty tight.


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## Contrabass Bry

What is the average temp in the area you store your jars? Does it get any light exposure?

Beyond making sure the "cellar" is consistently cool, dry and dark, there is not much else you can do.
Maybe something during the transfer into the jars contaminated it. (ie. hands, bowl, funnel)

Best not to worry about it now. Just keep your eyes peeled whenever you visit and remove any at the early stage (as you have done).


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## doublebassmusician

I keep them in the bottom two drawers of my dresser which is in my closet. It's dark in there, and stays pretty cool. In the summer I keep the closet door shut to keep it a little cooler. That's about it.


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## Contrabass Bry

Then I would just blame those filthy Turks!!


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## Oldguy

Ingesting mold of any sort can potentially be risky to one's health. However, allow me to relate an experience of my youth. When I was young and poor and stupid, I had a bag of cheap drugstore tobacco that got some mold in it. I removed all the mold I could find, put the rest into a cloth bag and threw it up on my closet shelf and forgot about it. It stayed there for a couple of years till I moved, when I found it again. Rather than throwing it out, (I was still poor) I moistened a bit and tried it. To my great surprise, it had mellowed considerably and tasted fine! I eventually smoked it all, moistening it an ounce or two at a time. The mold never came back--probably because I smoked it right away after moistening it. I never decided whether it was the mold or the dry aging or the combined effect of both that mellowed the taste. 
I'm no longer either young or poor, and I do not think I would be so stupid as to ever do it again -- nor would I recommend that anyone repeat my experiment.


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## doublebassmusician

Yeah, but I figured the fire would burn away the mold if there was any trace amounts left in it. Like maybe the fire burns hot enough to consume the mold, or something.


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